DEEP identifies swimmer who drowned in Candlewood Lake
Environmental officials released the name of the Bristol man whose body was pulled from Candlewood Lake last week..
By Marcy Jones, Rob Polansky and Evan Sobol
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BROOKFIELD, Connecticut (WFSB) — Environmental officials released the name of the Bristol man whose body was pulled from Candlewood Lake last week.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection identified the man as 24-year-old Larry Kwokpo Chan.
DEEP said the incident is being investigated as an accidental drowning.
Chan’s body was recovered on June 16. He disappeared on May 29.
DEEP officials said the investigation remained open as of Tuesday, pending a final report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Multiple agencies had been searching the water on the Brookfield side of the lake.
DEEP said its EnCon police, the Candlewood Lake Authority, Brookfield police, Danbury police and fire, and the Connecticut State Police Dive Team helped in the search.
They sought help from people who were around Brookfield Bay on the lake on May 29 between 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.
Anyone with information was asked to call DEEP EnCon police at 860-904-8154.
Channel 3 learned that they had to halt the search during the nights because crews lost sunlight. However, were right back on the water the following mornings.
Dive teams focused on an area that’s about 200 yards from the shore.
Technology played a big role. Officers used sonar to scan the bottom of the lake to try and find any sign of the man.
Officials said the 24-year-old was last seen on a pontoon boat with friends.
Police urged everyone to swim in the marked safe areas and recommend a life jacket no matter the swimming experience, especially since the water was very cold.
“[It] Sucks the heat out of your body,” said Lt. Robert Zajac, South Fire District, Middletown. “[It] zaps your energy, which you can’t stay in the water as long. You don’t realize that you are getting tired a lot faster. You are trying to swim harder.”
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